Florida basketball is riding high on a rising tide of success over the past month, winning three in a row and seven of its last eight matchups — all against Southeastern Conference competition. The one loss came by just a single point on the road, but otherwise, the Gators have been on the right side of the final score far more often than not.
Despite the recent success, the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll still could not find any room for the Orange and Blue in the top 25, but Todd Golden’s gang did pick up 32 more votes from last week for a total of 40 in Week 16’s update. Only the Gonzaga Bulldogs (61) and Virginia Cavaliers (59) received more votes without cracking the top teams.
Around the SEC, the Tennessee Volunteers are ranked No. 5, followed by the Alabama Crimson Tide (No. 13), Auburn Tigers (No. 14), Kentucky Wildcats (No. 17) and South Carolina Gamecocks (No. 20). No other teams received votes.
Florida travels to Tuscaloosa for its next matchup on Wednesday, Feb. 21, against the Alabama Crimson Tide. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on ESPN2.
A look at the full Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports:
| Rank | Team | Record | Points | Change |
| 1 | UConn | 24-2 | 800 (32) | – |
| 2 | Houston | 22-3 | 764 | +1 |
| 3 | Purdue | 23-3 | 715 | -1 |
| 4 | Arizona | 20-5 | 710 | +2 |
| 5 | Tennessee | 19-6 | 641 | +4 |
| 6 | Iowa State | 20-5 | 607 | +4 |
| 7 | Duke | 20-5 | 580 | +1 |
| 8 | Marquette | 19-6 | 553 | -4 |
| 9 | North Carolina | 20-6 | 546 | -4 |
| 10 | Kansas | 20-6 | 538 | -3 |
| 11 | Baylor | 19-6 | 508 | +2 |
| 12 | Illinois | 19-6 | 431 | +2 |
| 13 | Alabama | 18-7 | 417 | +2 |
| 14 | Auburn | 20-6 | 335 | -2 |
| 15 | Creighton | 19-7 | 329 | +1 |
| 16 | Dayton | 21-4 | 300 | +2 |
| 17 | Kentucky | 18-7 | 291 | +3 |
| 18 | Saint Mary’s | 21-6 | 251 | +1 |
| 19 | San Diego State | 20-6 | 185 | +12 |
| 20 | South Carolina | 21-5 | 180 | -9 |
| 21 | BYU | 18-7 | 105 | -4 |
| 22 | Washington State | 20-6 | 97 | +12 |
| 23 | Texas Tech | 18-7 | 71 | +4 |
| 24 | Colorado State | 20-6 | 65 | +1 |
| 25 | TCU | 18-7 | 64 | +8 |
Schools Dropped Out
No. 21 Oklahoma; No. 21 Wisconsin; No. 23 Virginia; No. 24 Indiana State
Others Receiving Votes
Gonzaga 61; Virginia 59; Florida 40; South Florida 35; Utah State 24; Michigan State 23; Grand Canyon 23; Wisconsin 16; Clemson 12; Oklahoma 9; Florida Atlantic 9; Nevada 4; James Madison 1; Boise State 1
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